Method of and apparatus for evacuating oil wells



May 3, 1932. w. soUTHGATE 1,856,197

METHOD 0F AND APPARATUS FOR EVACUATING OIL WELLS Filed NOV. 17, 1928Patented May 3, 1932 1 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE LOUIS-W. SOUTHGATE,l' WASHINGTON, DISTRICT 0l' COLUEBIA.

METHOD 0l' AND APPARATUS FOB IE'V.A.CUA'.LIIN`(1 OIL WELLS Applicationmed November\17, 1928. 'Serial No. $0,203.

In patent granted to me October 2nd,1928, to force the oil along on itsjourney from No. 1,686,47 5, I have described and shown a the well; andat the same time the gas as it method of andapparatus for causing oiletocomes up in the well or is evolved intermitfiow through pipe lines,which consists in tently or continuously may be collected and aemploying a suction pump to suck the oil utilized.

along in a section of the pipe line, in remov- The apparatus andconnections are illusing the gas and utilizing the same, if detrated indiagram or outline in thev accomsii-ed, and in then forcing the oilalong on panying drawings, in whichA its nextjourney byapressure pump. vFig. 1 illustrates a lay-out in which the f In the present im rovement,plan t0 connections extend directly from the oil well, 60 apply thismethod an apparatus directly to and v i the top of one or more oilwells. By doing Fig. 2 illustrates a lay-out in which a this, severalimportant advantages are obseparating tank is employed. tained. First,the pumping or lift in the Referrin first to Fig. 1, in detail,W desigiwell is assisted by the suction effect, and secnates an oi well in whichis arranged a suitond, the gas which comes alon with the oil, ablepumping apparatus, which may comor which is evolved as the oil is pumpedup prise pistons P-P and check valve C, coin the well can be separatedfrom the oi ordinated so that by reciprocating the pisand salvaged andutilized. tons, the oil will be lifted up in the well 3" When an `oilwell is driven and comes in casing. 70

the gas rst released is very often saved an The top of the Well Casin isextended utilized, as it is very rich in hydro-carbons. above the groundand is close by a stutng This initial flow generally is limited. y boxS-tlirough which the pump piston or After this flow of gas is over,unless the rod works.

25 well is a gusher, it is the practice to pump A pumping mechanismM,which ma be 75 the oil up out of the well, usually with pistonsconstructed in accordance with Fig. 2, o my reciprocated in the wellcasing, the pumping prior patent, is arranged at a suitablelocaveryoften being done from great depths. tion and is driven by a suitablemotor. This As this pumping goes on, considerably pumping mechanismconsistsnof a liquid cen- 3 more gas may be drawn from the ground, ortrifugal pump having one or more impellers 80 may be evolved by thechurning action of I and a hydro-turbine gas pump H employthe pumpingmechanism, and this gas thus ing the oil Jfor its pumping action. Thewell drawn along or evolved during the pumping casing is connected nearits top by a pipe 10 usually has been allowed to go to waste. to the gaspump and is connected at a lower 35 By the application previouslydescribed, level by pipe 11 to the liquid or oil pump. 85 this gas canbe savedand utilized.. The gas pump H is connected to suck the Toaccomplish these desirable ends I close gas or air from the top of thewell casing the top o the Well casing with a stuiiig box and force thesame through a pipe 12 to any 'through which the piston rod forrec1procat- .suitable storage place, as a gasometer G, from ing thepistons of the lift pump will work, which the salvaged gas may beled andutiand I connect the pumping a paratus shown lized. in my patent to thetop of t e oil well. A blow-ofi' can be arranged at a low point Theconnections to the pumping apparaon the gasometer to allow any air orheavy tus may extend directly from the casing of non-inflammable gas toescape as very often the oil well, or the separating tank, ilusair comesup in the well or leaks into the trated in my prior patent may beemployed. apparatus.

Thus the pumping action in the well will The oil pump I--I is connectedto force he helped to a de ee, depending upon the the oil along on itsjourney from the oil well,

n and the oil pump thereof may be employed a pipe line.

vacuum generated y the applied apparatus, by a pipe 13, which may be thefirst section of 1m It is not thought necessary to illustrate thepumping mechanism in greater detail, as the same is fully shown in myprior patent and the eiact apparatus there shown may be emlo e p y thecombination and connections d escribed, the pumping action in the wellwill be assisted and the gas which comes alon up in the well with theoil or which is evolve 'by the churning action of the pump .pistons willbe separated out and can be utilized.

In Fig. 2, I have shown a modification in which a pipe 15 extends fromthe oil well to a separating tank B similar to the s eparating tank B ofmy prior patent. This separating tank may be advantageously Aemployed inlocations where a large quantity of oil is to be handled or where theapparatus is applied to a plurality of wells, it ein obvious, of course,that a plurality of wel can be piped to ther, so that one pumpingapparatus will ndle the combined output thereof.

vThe pumps and rmechanisms herein described have been selected as thebest elements now known b me for practicing the invention, and I fu yappreciate that other kinds of pumps may be employed.

The details and arrangements herein shown Aand describedmay be greatlyvaried by' a skilled mechanic without departing from the scope of myinvention as expressed in the Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim as new and desire to secure by' Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is

1. The method of evacuating an oil Well which lconsists in iirst liftingfluids comprising oil and gas therein b pumping, then separatin the gasfrom t e oil, and assisting the li of fluids by the application ofsuction applied tothe fluids at a point beyond the point of separation.

2. The method of evacuating an oil well which consists in first liftingfluids comprising oil and gas thereinb pumping, then s eparatin the sfrom t` e oil, and assisting the `li o f fluids by the independentlapplication of suction to the gas and to the oil.

3. The method of evacuating an oil well which comprises in rst liftingfluids comprising oil and gas therein by pumping, then separatigtthe asfrom the oil, and assisting the of. uids by the simultaneous independentapplication of suction to the gas and to the oil. v

4. The method of evacuatin an oil well, which consists in'pumpin oil omthe well,

in separating the whic comes along with the oil, or which is evolved byhe churnm action ofthe pumping from` the well during such pumping, and'permanently removing such gas.' p l 5. The method of evacuating an oilwell, which consists in pumpin oil from the well, in separating the gaswhic comes along with the oil, or which is evolved by the churningaction of the pumping from the well during such pumping, and permanentlyremovin such gas oil thereby to assist the pumping action of the well. v

6. The method of evacuating an oil well which consists in lifting fluidscom rising oil lanot er point in the well, permanently removing thegaseous fluids from the oil and then forcing the oil along on itsourney.

8. The method of causing'fluids to flow from an oil well, which consistsin applying pressure to the fluids at one point in the well,

separating the fluids from each other and applying suction to theseparate fluids at a point adjacent the well, permanently removing thegaseous fluids from the oil and then forcing the oil along on itsjourney.

9. The combination of an oil well, a pumping mechanism therein for-lifting iluids in the well, including gas and oil'in the well1 meansfor separating the oil and gas, and means to independently apply suctionto the gas and oil respectively whereby the liftv in the well isassisted and the' gas is removed for subsequent utilization.

10. The combination of an oil well, a pumping mechanism therein forlifting fluids in the well, including gas and oil in the well, means forseparating the oil and gas, and means to simultaneously independentlapply suction to the gas and oil respectively, whereby the lift in thewell is-assisted and the gas is removed for subsequent utilization.

11. The combination of an oil well, a pumping mechanism therein forlifting fluids in the well, means including agas suction pump connectedto the well to assist the umping action in the well by application osuction to fluids therein and to handle the gas raised in thewell. Y

12. The combina-tion of an oil well, al pumping mechanism therein forlifting fluids in the well, a gas pump and an oil pump connected to thewell to assist the pumping action by the independent application ofsuction to the fluids thereby to separate the gas from the oil andseparately remove the gas and oil for subsequent utilization.

13. The combination of an oil well, a pumping mechanism therein forlifting fluids in and applying suction to the lifte the well, a gas-pumpand an oil pump connected to the well to assist the pumping action byvsuction, to separate and handle the t as and to force the oil and gasrespectively orward from the well.

14.. The combination of an oil well, aI pumping mechanism therein forlifting the oil, a separating tank, a, gas pump and an oil pumprespectively connected to the well to assist the pumping action thereinb suction, to separate and handle the gas an to force the oil forward onits journey from the well, said gas and oil pumps bein effective tohandle the gas and oil indepen ently of each other.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

LOUIS W. SOUTHGATE.

